Children die in car – truck collision

A horrible accident claimed the lives of a 12 year-old and 13 year- old sisters, as well as critically injured two other children. It was a terrible fatal crash which occurred last Sunday afternoon after a truck and car collided in Grand Prairie’s I-30.

According to the police, just before 2:00 o’clock in the afternoon of Sunday, a Dodge 2004 Stratus sedan broke down at the left side of the west lanes of Highway 161 where it was crashed on the rear by a pickup truck.

The two girls inside the car died on the scene. Medical Examiner of Tarrant County identified the fatalities as Maria Gonzales-Refugio, age 12 and Dianna Gonzales-Refugio, age 13. The other siblings in the car were identified as Jesus Gonzalez, age 6, and Maria de Jesus Gonzalez, age 10. They were rushed to Fort Worth Cook Children’s Medical Center. Jesus Gonzalez was listed as very seriously injured while Maria de Jesus Gonzalez was listed as seriously injured.

The 31 year-old mother and the operator of the Dodge was Maria F.Vasquez, resident of Irving, sustained minor injuries while her husband, Juan Gonzalez, age 34, was not injured as he was out of the car trying to get assistance when the crash occurred.

Police believed that the driver of the Ford pickup F-150 truck, identified as Justin Beavers, age 30 and resident of North Richland Hills, was traveling within the speed limit and simply didn’t see the car parked at the left lane.

Sgt. Eric Hansen, spokesperson for Grand Prairie police, was told by the truck driver that he was driving in the center lane and was moving towards the left lane when he came upon the car so he did not have time to react. However, Beaver was not injured.

The police were not able to determine if the children were properly restraint but they learned that the 6-year-old boy was not in a booster seat as required by law.

The seating capacity of the Dodge Stratus was only for five but there were two adults and four children in the car.

Due to the accident, westbound traffic on Interstate 30 was backed up for miles while the injured were being helped and the accident was being investigated.

An update of the accident showed that the third child who was brought to the hospital in very critical condition Sunday afternoon died.

On the night of Monday, the family decided to take off then life support of 6 years-old Jesus Gonzalez. Now three deaths were accounted for: siblings Maria and Dianna who died on the scene Sunday night and Jesus. Only10-years-old Maria de Jesus who remained in critical condition was still alive.

The mother and operator of the vehicle, Maria F.Vasquez, and her husband, Juan Gonzalez, sustained only minor injuries. Gonzalez was not in the car during the crash as he went out to call assistance for their stalled car.

The mishap happened a little before 2:00 o’clock in the afternoon when the family vehicle broke down in the left lane of I-30 along the vicinity of Turnpike Interchange of George Bush.

There were four children, Maria, Diana, Jesus and Maria de Jesus who were all sitting in the backseat at the time of the crash.

The parents allowed the hospital to take off Jesus life support at 6:00 o’clock evening of Monday. The family expected the grandparents to come from Mexico to bid farewell to their grandson. So now, only one of the four children who were involved in the crash at Grand Prairie last Sunday was alive but in critical condition.

Grand Prairie police pointed the driver of the pickup as 30 years-old Justin Beavers and resident of Richland North Hills who was not injured at all.

Police said that they learned that Maria Vasquez was operating the Stratus without a driver’s license and that all the children at the backseat were not properly restraint.

Authorities are conducting an ongoing investigation of the crash.

Car Accident victims may be entitled to financial compensation for pain and suffering in addition to economic damages.